Minister O’Donovan to publish Media Regulation Bill
- From: Department of Culture, Communications and Sport
- Published on: 19 February 2026
- Last updated on: 19 February 2026
Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport Patrick O’Donovan has received Government approval to publish the Media Regulation Bill.
The Bill will implement the main provisions of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) in Ireland. EMFA is an EU regulation which puts in place new rules to protect media pluralism and independence and seeks to ensure that media can operate more easily across borders in the EU.
The Bill will modernise Ireland’s existing framework for the assessment of media mergers and introduce new rules in relation to state expenditure on advertising.
Welcoming approval to publish the Bill, Minister O’Donovan said:
I am pleased to publish this important piece of legislation. A diverse and independent media enables the free flow of information and debate which is essential for a healthy democracy.
Ireland already has robust protections for media freedom in place, which will be further strengthened by the passage of this legislation. The Bill will ensure that key provisions of the European Media Freedom Act are fully implemented in Irish law.
The Bill will transfer responsibility for the assessment of media mergers from the Minister to the independent media regulator, Coimisiún na Meán. It will also broaden the scope of media mergers to be assessed to include transactions involving online platforms.
The Bill will increase transparency of state advertising, with a requirement for public bodies to report annually on their expenditure. Coimisiún na Meán will be tasked with producing an annual report based on this information.
Minister O’Donovan said:
Ireland’s media mergers regime is an essential element of the protections we have in place for media plurality and diversity. The Bill will modernise the framework for assessment of media mergers, taking into account the digital transformation of the sector. It will also transfer responsibility for media merger assessments to Coimisiún na Meán, leveraging their expertise and ensuring full independence
Finally, the Bill will designate Coimisiún na Meán as responsible for the development of a media ownership database and engaging with industry to increase transparency of audience measurement, in particular online.
ENDS
The Bill will introduce new requirements for public bodies to publish information on their expenditure on advertising. State advertising is an important source of income for many media outlets and the Bill will ensure that such expenditure is subject to the highest level of transparency.